How Can I Verify Salary Details Without HR Confirmation for New Hires?

Dear Members,

Whenever we recruit a new person, from the HR end, I used to do a background verification of new recruits by talking to their previous company's HR department - to verify joining date, last salary, performance issues, and also talk to people whom they reported to on performance/integrity.

Recently, we have hired a new person for a very crucial role. He will also be bringing his team members to our organization (which is okay with my boss). However, the issue lies in the salary they have mentioned they are currently taking. It's twice the industry standards. The new hire informed me not to conduct a background check with the HR department as the whole team would not be serving their notice period (we are not in a position to let them serve it either). Even after they join, he does not want me to verify their background. His reason being that the HR department will not provide correct information due to frustration and anger.

I have conducted a verification on their performance and received information from trusted resources in the industry.

Concerning the salary, I do not have any other option other than the HR department. Is there another way to verify salary details? The salary proof they have provided - each has different authorizing signatures. Too much of my questioning makes me appear paranoid.

My boss completely trusts the information I provide, and I do not wish to leave this task incomplete and rely solely on "baseless faith."

Please let me know if there are other ways of verifying salary.

You need to verify one new person and his team of X members. These X members are working in the same company. For salary verification, ask for copies of the appointment letter, offer letter, and payslips. Request payslips for at least the last 3-4 months. Compare the payslips, and if you find any discrepancies, do not hesitate to ask about them. This will help clarify any doubts regarding the double salary.

Thanks, Ravi.

But the problem here is that they have produced their appointment letters and all relevant documents, including payslips. However, the person we hired is one of the key decision-makers, and he has access to all company letterheads and seals too. My boss wants me to do a background check, especially regarding salary (not with the senior most person, as we have already received a good reference about him). The other two - I do not know if there is another way to check their salary details, but only through HR. :(

These people are not informing their companies that they are resigning for a better opportunity. Instead, each one of them is citing different excuses. One person will say that he is going to quit his career and do some consulting work, another person that he is moving abroad, and another person that he is going to join a professional course. :-(

Hi Asha,

If they are working in a medium to large organization, their salaries would be credited to their salary bank accounts. You can ask for either the mini statement (which would give the last month's salary deposit) or the bank statement for the last three months, where their salary deposit history would be recorded.

But by the way you have mentioned the urgency or importance of the requirement, I doubt if there would be any difference even if there is a discrepancy.

Thank you so much, Siva. This seems to be the only option left out. Regarding the urgency - we only recruited the key person; the other members were his own choice. Like as a Recruiter, I had offered a few resumes to fill his team members' requirement, but he said he is comfortable with them and does not want to go through rough patches initially itself. The problem is, the average pay in the industry is 35K, but the team members are requesting 70K. We are ready to pay - provided they are that good. But I also have profiles that match the requirement and are 'in the range'.

Dear Ash,

Please check the bank where the salary transfer is made. Ask for at least 3-4 months of salary transfer details (4 months would be ideal). Verify the date of each salary transfer, review the payslip where the employee code is mentioned, and cross-check to ensure it matches with the employee code in the bank transfer statement. These are some methods to verify the information.

Thank you.

Dear Asha,

Here is my two cents, even though I am not from HR. If people are willing to tell a lie (even a white lie) to leave a job and join another, how can one trust them not to do the same in the future? You either trust the senior guy you have engaged, or you don't. If you don't, then you have a big problem.

In this period of recession, I wonder why engage people at twice the norm. Maybe you can hire them conditionally, subject to their performance!!

Have a nice day,

Simhan

Dear Ash,

When you can't change something, change yourself. Your new hire is insisting on his old contacts, your boss knows it and is okay with it, then please do not show your efficiency and commitment for the time being. Even if you have better candidates, he is not going to consider them. Even if, by a remote chance, he agrees on the candidates as suggested by you, he will have many ways to later prove them incapable and then ask you to hire whom he wants to hire. For you, this is one of those 'sometimes' when you have to do something that you'd not like.

Prashant

Hi Asha,

If I understand you correctly:

1. The position to be filled is crucial and urgent;
2. The hired person's reference check is OK (as far as performance is concerned);
3. The team hired through him also had/have good performance (you've checked that already); and
4. Your management is ready to pay the salary demanded if they are "that good".

Given the above points, questions that need your answer are:

1. Would it help if you found out they provided false information regarding existing salaries? Wouldn't it mean you'd have to look for other talent (unless you're ready to negotiate on salary with a potential fraudster).
2. If the position is urgent, so much so that your organization is willing to pay double the market rate, I'm sure they would have also done a cost-benefit analysis and you may jeopardize the precarious situation with your finding (not that you shouldn't, your choice though), isn't it?
3. Since you've already done performance background checks through trusted sources, you should let that speak for them, I'm sure that should be enough?

💡 On a side note, you might think of building in Performance Linked Pay as a component in their annual CTC to hedge the risk.

Regards,

Neeraj K. Singh

Dear Neeraj,

My boss completely trusts me when I give him background check information. If, during the verification process, I discover that individuals have forged documents, I am empowered to bring this to light and terminate them. Integrity and attitude are highly valued here.

The background check I conducted focused on performance. I have informed the key person that we are hiring the two members based on pure trust. I am considering reaching out to the HR department to conduct the check myself, or exploring other sources for verification.

Adding to my concerns, the signatures on the documents submitted by the individuals vary on each page. As for bank statements, in the textiles/garments industry, it is common for employees to receive part of their salaries in cash and part off the record. While this practice is not endorsed, it is prevalent in many companies. An individual could claim to have received half through official channels and the other half off the books.

I am contemplating posing as an agent to inform HR that the two members applied for an auto loan, suggesting a check on whether their reported salaries align. This is just a thought, and I am unsure if it is a viable approach.

Thank you.

Dear Simhan,

I did highlight this to my boss, but the KEY position is so critical that more than the skills, it's the leadership qualities and the ability to produce results that have made the person look really "on the dot" for us. We would not want to lose him. We know hiring the other two people is a major risk because if one person moves out, the whole team will move out.

To waive that fear off, we have asked them to sign a contract as consultants for the next two years, though they promised they will continue for 5 years. But if my management gets to know about the issues with their integrity in the future, things will be in bad shape.

Thanks for the suggestion of performance-linked compensation - I guess that would be a viable option.

Dear Ash,

Since they are aware of your current scenarios, they are taking advantage and asking for double the salary. Do one thing - take a blank paper and have them sign an undertaking stating that if the information provided is not true, they will be terminated without any settlement and legal actions will be taken against them. By doing this, the ones hesitant to sign are the culprits.

One more suggestion: never show your weakness or urgency to the candidate.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am requesting help regarding providing basic guidelines on job transfer scheme implementation for office-side members.

Hi Ash,

Taking people for a higher salary might create a disparity among other employees. Considering the textile industry, it's not performing at its best at this point (as I am aware).

As the person who's going to head them is very demanding, don't you feel that this type of attitude might continue (like restricting you in background verification and giving his reasons over taking them) even though a contract is in place? This contract would be in vain if they don't take the job seriously, as they could employ the same technique in a different organization.

You have the option to check their salary under the guise of a marketing executive. Coordinate with your other HR colleague at the same time, as one person might disclose it to another, allowing them to prepare for the call later.

No one would stick with the company till the end, including myself. If you hire these people and then terminate them due to misleading information (given the urgent requirement), you will again be under pressure to find someone else.

Let's see what others say...

Regards,
Priya

Ashaji,

Is that the only person available for that particular post?

During an economic recession, do you want to hire a person by paying double the salary? I agree that the best come at a premium price, but is that required now?

I am surprised by the statement made by the senior member that the HR will give incorrect information out of frustration and anger.

What is the integrity level of the person?

To add to that, he brings his team too. So when X Company offers double the salary, this gentleman will leave along with his team. What do you want to do?

If performance is the only criterion, why this much disgrace to Ramalinga Raju of Satyam?

So please understand, it is not the salary but the integrity of the individual.

How sure are you that the other team members who have not given notice will join you?

Dear Asha,

You can verify from his salary bank account statement because they are providing you with all other proofs. As per my knowledge, a bank statement would be helpful for you in this case.

Thanks

Hello Asha,

Many of the members have had their say. Can I have mine too on this issue that seems to be worrying you?

Regarding the salary verification part, as someone said, asking for Bank Statements for the past 3 months should give you an indication (in fact, some of my clients do it as a matter of standard practice). And like someone else said, get some Loan Agency guy (whom you can trust) to call them and get their actual salary details. This way you could arrive at some ball-park figure.

But what I think all of you guys seem to be missing out on is this factor - now how much of it is realistic is for Asha to figure out.

Though most of the industry sectors are competitive these days, as far as I know, the competition in the Textiles industry is FIERCE. Since you say that this is a very critical work in your company, I am sure all other textile companies (including the one where this guy is currently working) WOULD DEFINITELY have some sort of an indication of what you guys are planning to do. Any company worth its salt will definitely keep a tab on its competitors.

Did it ever occur to you or your boss that this guy could be a plant of the other company - a case of industrial espionage - and in a worst-case scenario... that of sabotage? I am not saying this IS the situation. But there seem to be TOO MANY aspects to this guy's sayings that are VERY uncomfortable. Why someone would do such a thing is best left to conjecture - why would Ramalinga Raju screw up his own company?

Just a comparison, Asha. Let's say you go to a shop and try to buy something that costs Rs.100/-. You bargain it for Rs.75/- and after dilly-dallying the shop-guy says you can have it for Rs.50/-, would you buy it? That's the first impression I got when I read that you asked for an Agreement for 2 yrs and he was ready to give for 5 yrs. Too many points that make me uncomfortable, Asha, in the whole thing.

And don't tell me such things don't happen. I saw another posting in this forum today about "Integrity" in which the film "Guru" was quoted. Anyone who knows the history of Reliance well would tell you that a major part of the initial struggle was to fight such very tricks of Bombay Dying against Reliance.

I repeat again, Asha - too many things out-of-place with this guy.

Regards,
TS

Hello Asha,

Many of the members have had their say. Can I have mine too on this issue that seems to be worrying you:(

Regarding the salary verification part, as someone said, asking for Bank Statements for the past 3 months should give you an indication (in fact, some of my clients do it as a matter of standard practice). And again, as someone else said, get some Loan Agency guy [whom you can trust] to call them and get their actual salary details. This way you could arrive at some ball-park figure.

But what I think all of you guys seem to be missing out on is this factor - now how much of it is realistic is for Asha to figure out. Though most of the industry sectors are competitive these days, as far as I know, the competition in the Textiles industry is FIERCE. Since you say that this is a very critical work in your company, I am sure all other textile companies [including the one where this guy is currently working] WOULD DEFINITELY have some sort of an indication of what you guys are planning to do. Any company worth its salt will definitely keep a tab on its competitors.

Did it ever occur to you or your boss that this guy could be a plant of the other company - a case of industrial espionage - and in a worst-case scenario... that of sabotage? I am not saying this IS the situation. But there seems to be TOO MANY aspects to this guy's sayings that are VERY uncomfortable. Why someone would do such a thing is best left to conjecture - why would Ramalinga Raju screw up his own company?

Just a comparison, Asha. Let's say you go to a shop and try to buy something that costs Rs.100/-. You bargain it for Rs.75/- and after dilly-dallying the shop-guy says you can have it for Rs.50/-, would you buy it? That's the first impression I got when I read that you asked for an Agreement for 2 yrs and he was ready to give for 5 yrs. Too many points that make me uncomfortable, Asha, in the whole thing.

And don't tell me such things don't happen. I saw another posting in this forum today about "Integrity" in which the film "Guru" was quoted. Anyone who knows the history of Reliance well would tell you that a major part of the initial struggle was to fight such very tricks of Bombay Dying against Reliance.

I repeat again, Asha - too many things out-of-place with this guy.

Regards,
TS

The senior person can come here and work for some time.

Collect all the details, data, and information.

I am sure the person is from your competitor.

The competitor may himself ask this so-called gentleman to work with you and be loyal to them.

Please think

You may also call up the previous company's HR person and mention that you are calling from XYZ Bank and this new joinee has taken up a home loan, hence you need to verify his salary details. This way, you'll be able to do the salary verification without even mentioning that you are calling from the new company. Hope this helps!

Dear Ash,

I personally believe this is horse trading kind of salary negotiations. In the West, every company has industry standards and market prices for various jobs that are surveyed by consultants from time to time. These jobs are evaluated based on job descriptions, and points are awarded depending on workload and job weightages in the total organizational list of jobs.

For example, a Manager HR in the Textile industry may be valued differently than a Manager HR in a Shopping Mall. Similarly, the job size of a Mechanical engineer in one Textile Industry may differ from another, depending on the level of the position in the organization and the size of the organization's job requirements such as mental demand, physical working environment, know-how, decision-making, responsibilities, accountabilities, etc.

Verification is a different issue. This verification process has come into existence due to the unreliable salary structures that fail to address the candidates' capabilities and their true value in the market, resulting in a waste of time and money for companies that hire the wrong people.

Instead, if organizations have a market price duly studied and offer a median salary range of the market with some assurance that, based on performance in the next six to twelve months, the individual will reach a particular salary level. This will give management a chance to assess performance and set salaries according to the market price of the job based on the individual's caliber.

What often happens is that management takes undue risks by offering salaries based on horse-trading negotiations, only to find out after 3 to 4 months that the individual is not worth the salary offered, despite having a genuine past salary track record. It's a matter of comparing apples to apples. Comparing jobs provides the true market price of any job, eliminating the need for unreliable and unpredictable salary differentiations.

Regards,
Partho

Hi,

I believe you can ask for the Form-16 and cross-verify the payslips, bank statements, and Form-16, which will give a better picture of your concerns.

Regards,
Maninder Singh
+91-9886413064

Dear TS and Peer Mohammed,

Thank you so much for shedding light on the situation and helping me see the bigger picture. I now have enough confidence to gather all my courage and tell my boss, "Let's not do this immediately." I am worried that he might think I am trying to dominate, but at the end of the day, I own the HR process. If anything goes wrong, the company may lose its trust in the HR department. If you hadn't mentioned the consequences and the potential realities, I would not have been aware of the facts.

Dear Priya, thanks for your valuable thoughts. You are correct, not every company in the textiles/garments sector is doing well, and the company we are hiring these people from is already in a bad shape.

Dear Partho, you highlighted a valuable point. I think it's better if we stick to the standards already set.

Dear Faruk, thanks for your views. The issue with the textiles/garments industry is that they receive half the salary officially and the rest in cash. Therefore, checking bank statements may not be effective as they can claim to be receiving more.

Dear Rohit, Pooja, and Maninder - thanks a lot!

Hello Asha,

There are a couple of things that strike me - to check out their true intentions. If they (including the senior guy) have REALLY resigned, ask for their Relieving Letters... doesn't matter the reasons they gave for resigning. Or at least the acknowledged copy of their Resignation Letter - if they come up with all sorts of reasons for NOT producing any of these letters, you can be reasonably sure that their intentions aren't fair - if you know what I mean.

And since you have already hired the key guy, you have 3 options to safeguard your company: (1) Put someone in the team who will be your man... sounds realistic, but may not help in the long run. He may be bought over. (2) Create some sort of barricades to STOP the hiring of his colleagues... I am sure it can be done. (3) Or have a mix of HIS men & YOUR (meaning hired by you separately) men.

Regards,
TS

Dear Asha,

Asking for a bank statement seems to be a very good option with you, and I don't think that your hesitation is right regarding their request not to ask their HR members. In my point of view, you can ask their previous HR members to confirm everything, but remember that it should be very confidential. So, you may discuss with your boss since he is very sincere on the subject, as you mentioned in your message. Asha, every HR personnel is doing the same; there is nothing wrong in this as it has an impact on your esteemed organization. When your organization's interest is being affected by anyone's request and decision, in my view, this is not correct.

After all, you are there to deal with the situation and I hope you are most capable of handling things very tactfully.

Have a very nice day.

High hopes Parul...

Not all males share their office or financial matters with their wives, whether one likes it or not. Being in the Placements, I know.

Regards,
TS

Dear Ash,

You can also ask for a copy of the IT return, PF statement, and salary bank statement for the last 3 months. Additionally, could you please check whether the offering CTC is as per market value or not?

Mahesh Patel

Dear Mahesh,

Thanks for your views. However, the problem with the textiles/garments industry is that they receive half the salary upfront and the remaining amount in cash. Therefore, checking bank statements may not provide accurate information, as they could claim they are receiving higher payments anytime.

Dear Aah Mathew,

First, try to keep up your KRA and KPI. If your boss asks for a reference check, please do so according to the format and submit it to your boss. The ultimate decision lies with your boss, so don't overthink it.

In India, HR and company management need to be matured. Every company and position have a pay package. There are foolish questions being asked in interviews such as, "What do you expect?" One has a budget to pay; there's no need to ask. Do cross-verify and focus on what you aim to achieve. Don't be too rigid.

Please have a complete questionnaire with case studies for the candidate, where you can evaluate performance, merits, strengths, and weaknesses.

From my experience, no employee will quit saying, "I am joining XX company, and they are going to pay XX salary," because bosses are not matured, and they are hesitant since people generally don't speak positively.

Even after all reference checks and qualification verifications, if an employee underperforms, it will reflect on the HR recruiting person. Therefore, it needs to be handled tactfully.

Hi Ash,

There are a few things you can check on - talk about the issue clearly with your boss! Tomorrow, there are a lot of chances that he will point out to you for improper checks. So, ask him what can be done. Also, though cranky, have someone call any of the members, like a consultant with a similar job opportunity elsewhere, and see what they have to say. Alternatively, try to get the number of another member in the organization and discuss the opening with them, slowly gauging the salary offered in their firm. There's nothing to worry about so much on this. As someone above mentioned, if your boss is okay with it, you can relax. If you want to do justice to your work, then try the above steps; I am sure you will find a way out. All the best :)

28.05.2009

Regarding salary verification, you can check their bank statements and also ask for their income tax return copy for the previous years, say 2 years at least. This would provide the necessary details.

However, most medium-sized companies do not treat their staff well, wanting to possess them entirely and neither offering good salaries nor allowing them to explore other opportunities. A better approach would be to include a clause in their appointment letter stating that they would be on probation for 6 months, with the possibility of an extension for performance verification. This will encourage new recruits to be honest in their performance and also justify their previous credentials.

In the later stages of their performance, the truth may come out about what they did in their previous company, especially when a conference or seminar is organized and they are asked to share their past experiences.

Dear Asha,

🤔 These new employees are avoiding you going to their previous employer, maybe because you will really get to know their past and there may be a chance of them getting into trouble. Please do not follow their words; just check once all around when you go further in this matter.

THINK TWICE BEFORE DOING SOMETHING 🤔

You may ask for a bank statement for the verification of salary. Bank statements can't be altered.

Dear Ash,

I would like to suggest that you must verify with his last employer regarding his last salary drawn (whether they will give the correct information or incorrect information). Then you will be clear in your mind about what the exact problem is. It does not mean that he told you not to check, and you will not. Maybe you will get some other picture from there which is not in your mind, which you cannot think about. One more thing, I suggest just drop a mail to his last employer regarding verification and collect the proof from there (in written). Check what they have replied, and it will help you to make a strong case against that employee. If he is correct, not a problem at all. And if he is wrong, you can think about the next step.

I am really thinking, if a person doesn't want to provide his details, he has something in his mind (very common in human beings). Maybe it's his attitude, behavior, he is working like an espionage, or he is lying totally, whatever, many more things, Asha. So don't restrict yourself because this is a matter of your company, so be careful. I totally agree with Mr. Peer and TEJ.

If you check with his last HR, first remember everything about that employee (what he discussed about his past employment) and make a report based on that. While asking his last HR, try to verify each sentence. Maybe you will get some clue. After getting the info, you will have a strong base to talk with that employee.

And some more suggestions I will give:

1. Talk with the last HR about his employment/salary/bank details/qualification/his total experience/his other employment history/his achievements if any, and so on.

2. In which department was he working, call that department as a client, and ask, "May I talk with (employee's name)?" If the person says he has left the organization, okay, try to pull that person into your conversation. Try to know about the person's attitude (whom you are talking to). If the person is talking very positively about your employee, then it's okay. If talking somewhat negatively, try to know more by throwing some negativity and check his response. Maybe he will give some clue.

3. After getting all the info, if the info is wrong, ask the employee for his bank statement directly. Don't hesitate at all. If the info is okay, not a problem at all.

But Ash, we can only give you suggestions, and I am sure you can handle the situation easily. And don't entertain such kind of people.

Ash,

I would rather recommend checking the Bank Account Statement of the new joiner to get the correct details of the salary he/she might have received during his/her previous job. Well, that's one thing that cannot be changed with retrospective effect. Maybe that's going to help you.

Regards,
Vikash Sogani

Hello Everyone...

I spoke to my boss about hiring the other two people. Somehow, he was helpful in letting me know the situation. This is what he said:

"I know Asha, I understand what you are trying to say. But let's look at it this way - we have assigned the KEY person a very crucial role and the deliverables cannot be reconsidered for extension after three months. In this critical time, where he has to perform (do or die), I think he prefers having people whom he has already worked with and knows their potential.

So let's actually hire them for now. I like the KEY person's aggressiveness which I did not see in other candidates. I know the investment is huge, but the expected returns are also 'huge' :-)

You go ahead with your background checking, and if at any point we find that these two people have misrepresented the statements, let's keep a pool of talent ready in the pipeline, so that we can just immediately take a decision on firing/hiring.

I know what you are trying to say - and, never will I let go of integrity at any point. I'd rather be okay with someone saying that he/she has not been getting a good salary, but will need a GREAT hike to perform... I don't mind being open about a direct 50% hike (with the returns what I expect), but I cannot tolerate misrepresentation."

I still have those words in my mind. I felt he had a point.

And Neeraj, I am yet to start with the calling :-) Glad that he also gave me a GO to the verification in my style.

Boss is right in judging the candidates' potential, and his justification also appears to be convincing. We have to trust employees and encourage them with a better future for good performers.

Bhajiya

Boss is always right...

Ash, why do you insist on background verification if your boss is comfortable with the new employee's antecedents and knows his past employer as well as his experience? We have to leave this as special circumstances...

Partho

Dear Bhajiya and Partha,

Thank you for your views. You are correct - the boss is right. The boss thinks that I should conduct a background verification on the two new team members (the KEY one I have already completed, and he is happy with that). The boss is unaware of the two new team members; in fact, they were not even interviewed by any of us, just brought along with the key person.

In the last few days, I have been doing a lot of investigative work. I am enjoying it, though. In my childhood, I wanted to join the CBI or be a detective agent (I was just excited through movies). I am happy that it's fulfilled in one way - I am investigating anyway! ;-)

Thank you.

Online Tools for Salary Verification

Verifying the past salary of candidates is a concern for almost every HR professional. With many candidates exaggerating their last withdrawn salary to secure a better offer, salary verification cannot be overlooked. Fortunately, an online past employment verification tool like Verified Resources can help validate a potential employee's last withdrawn salary.

In addition to verifying the last salary, this online platform assists in validating other employment-related details of a candidate, such as work experience, the status of exit formalities, and whether the notice period was served. The best part is that since it is an online solution, the entire verification process is automated, delivering quick and accurate results. As a result, you can make the right and prompt hiring decisions.

Here is the link to Verified Resources: verifiedresources.com

Thanks,
Meesha